How Taking a Wilderness First Responder Course Made Me a More Valuable Ski Partner On New Year’s Eve last season, I watched my uncle break his femur right in front of me on Alta’s High Rustler, a steep, double-black diamond slope not very far from the base of the Utah ski area. I’m glad it was only a femur because when I saw him slam on the cat track in front of me after […] Brains Martin Kuprianowicz | February 20, 2025 1 Comment
VIDEO: Post-Avalanche Patient Care Brought to you by SCARPA Backcountry Week This is the fifth installment of my highlighting Backcountry Access’ Avalanche Safety videos for SCARPA Backcountry Week. Up to now in these videos, we’ve discussed organizing a companion avalanche rescue in the backcountry, as well as single and multiple-burial rescue with transceivers, probing, and strategic shoveling. In the next video in the series, […] Avalanche Mike Bartholow | February 16, 2021 0 Comments
Don’t Forget About HAPE! What it is and Why it is Important When most people make a plan to have an alpine adventure like skiing, snowboarding, or climbing, they make plans for how they will stay safe and have a good experience. They check the weather so they can plan what to wear. They plan out travel to get the timing just right. If going into the backcountry, they research the state […] Weather Aidan Christian | February 1, 2021 0 Comments
Search and Rescue During a Global Pandemic The reservation system has been set in stone at many major resorts across the United States. Both on the popular Epic Pass as well as the Ikon Pass, this is the reality. The latter pass only requires reservations at a handful of mountains such as Aspen Highlands, Crystal Mountain, and Big Sky. Due to the limited capacity, backcountry skiers and […] Backcountry Mitchell Milbauer | November 25, 2020 1 Comment
HAPE: What Makes Altitude Sickness So Deadly in the High Mountains? Objective hazards in the mountains are comprised of two main categories: environmental factors and human factors. Before heading into the wilderness, a human will make considerations for what to bring in case of an emergency. HAPE is a risk, an almost silent killer which creeps in during situations where rescues are often impossible, like on the side of a mountain. […] Elliot Levey | February 1, 2020 0 Comments
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